Corrugated sheet metal structure



A. K. SNELLINGS CORRUGATED SHEET METAL STRUCTURE May 12, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12, 1968 INVENTOR. ALBION K. SNELLINGS BY waits, l-{o manrifi5hwb ATTORNEYS.

May 12, 1970 A. K. SNELLINGS CORRUGATED SHEET METAL STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 12, 19 68 3 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR. ALBION KSNELLINGS BY LLFQITS, l-{ofi mann He'mkv ATTORNEYS.

May 12, 1970 A. K. SNELLINGS CORRUGATED SHEET METAL STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 12, 1968 INVENTOR. ALBIQN KSNELLI NGS BY waiisj-{orxmanqtl ishan i qeinllz/ ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent "ice US. Cl. 52-270 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sheet metal structure comprised of a plurality of interconnected sheet metal wall members which define a material receiving volume, each of the wall members being generally vertically disposed and includin horizontally extending corrugations providing a plurality of aligned apertures adjacent end edges of the wall members. Adjacent wall members are interfitted so that the corrugations thereof overlie each other and the apertures in the corrugations are alignable for reception of an elongated pin extending vertically through apertures to connect the wall members together. In one embodiment of the invention wall members of the wall structure intersect at approximately right angles and one of the members carries a plurality of clips interfitting with corrugations of the other wall members and with the clips defining apertures alignable with apertures in the corrugations of the other mentioned members so that the wall members are connected together by a pin extending through the apertures in the corrugations and the clips.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to metal building structures and more particularly relates to corrugated sheet metal structures particularly adapted for economical and expeditious assembly.

Sheet metal has been used to construct various building structures such as dikes, retaining walls, revetments, and various types of buildings. Commonly such structures have been constructed using multiple fasteners, particularly nuts and bolts, which join various sections of the structure together. When such structures are utilized as revetments or dikes the finished structure may be filled with or surrounded by concrete, sand or similar fluent materials, which may escape through joints in the structure and accordingly the assembly of such devices is such that the joints between various parts of the structure must be relatively tight. In many instances specially formed joining structures have been provided to insure against leakage of fluent material through joints of the structure. The provision of specially constructed joints in sheet metal structures of the type referred to has resulted in excessive complexity in the manufacture of components of revetments and the assembly of them. These complexities, the relatively large number of fasteners required in assembling and other factors have caused such structures to be excessively costly.

Possibly the most significant cost involved in a structure of the type referred to is that of labor in assembling the structure. A sheet metal building structure assembled by the use of great numbers of nuts and bolts required many man hours in merely fastening the members together. Where special joint constructions are provided, additional time may be required to properly assemble the joints before securing them with suitable fasteners.

The prior art has proposed constructing revetments, retainer walls, and other similar structures from corrugated sheet metal material. In some cases corrugated material has been proposed to strengthen such struc- 3,511,004 Patented May 12, 1970 tures, while other proposals have provided corrugations for permitting flexibility of the sheet metal structure. The prior art proposals have differed in the construction of joints interconnecting parts of the structure with some of the proposed joints being fastened by a plurality of nut and bolt fasteners While others consisting of weldments or deformed portions of the materials.

One prior proposal has been to overlap corrugated members at their ends in an opening in a supporting member and then yieldably deform the corrugated members so that they are fixed relative to the support member.

Sheet metal structures of the type referred to should be adapted for both assembly in a relatively short time and utilizing minimum manpower in the construction.

Since the nature of their use is often temporary in nature, these structures should also be adapted for quick and simple disassembly and subsequent reassembly. The prior art proposals have not permitted the assembly or disassembly of such structures in an expeditious manner in a relatively small number of man hours due to the large numbers of fasteners required to connect parts of the structure together, or because of special operations required in joining the members. Moreover specially constructed joints between members of the structure have increased the cost of a completed assembly as has been pointed out and inhibit the disassembly of the assembly and reuse of the components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention a sheet metal structure is provided wherein adjacent members of the structure are fastened together by a single fastener which is quickly and easily inserted into the structure when the adjacent members are properly aligned. More particularly a sheet metal structure according to the present invention includes a plurality of wall members which are generally vertically disposed and include horizontal corrugations having a plurality of aligned apertures therein so that corrugations of adjacent wall members may be interfitted with the apertures aligned for reception of a single fastener which extends through the aligned apertures.

In assembling a sheet metal structure having parts constructed in accordance with the present invention a relatively few workers can effect assembling of the structure utilizing only a tool such as a rubber mallet to urge the Wall members into alignment. Once two wall members are aligned an elongated pin is inserted through the apertures of the two members to secure them together. As a result of the structure referred to the number of man hours per foot of wall erected is relatively low and since a single fastener is utilized to join the wall members together the total number of parts required in the construction of a given structure is smallin comparison to previously known structuresof similar type. Furthermore since the joint structure of the wall members is principally defined by the corrugations in the wall members themselves, the fabrication costs of such wall members is relatively low.

Another feature of the invention is the construction of wall members to permit intersecting walls to be interconnected by a single fastener and wherein one of the wall members defines surfaces which extend into corrugations of an intersecting wall member. These surfaces include apertures alignable with apertures in corrugations of the intersecting wall member so that the fastener is inserted through the apertures in the intersecting wall members. The corner defined by the intersection of the wall members is substantially closed so that fluent material contained by the wall members does not pass between the wall members at their intersection.

Further features of the invention reside in the use of a relatively few types, preferably only two, of standard Wall components and fasteners in the form of pins. Disassembly is effected by simply removing the pins. Since there are limited numbers of standard components they are useable to construct and reassemble structures of a wide variety of shapes and types.

In one embodiment of the invention one of the intersecting wall members includes a notched end edge which interfits with corrugations of an intersecting wall member and in which apertures are defined in projecting portions of the end edge for alignment with apertures formed in the corrugations of the intersecting wall member. In another embodiment of the present invention a corrugated wall member is provided with a series of clips nested in its corrugations and which project beyond an end edge of the wall member to interfit with corrugations of the intersecting wall member and wherein the clips are provided with apertures for reception of the fastening pin.

Accordingly the present invention has for its principal object the provision of a new and improved sheet metal structure wherein adjoining wall members of any assembl are defined by a series of horizontally extending corrugations which have generally vertically aligned apertures therein and wherein adjacent pairs of wall members are interfitted and connected together by a single fastener which extends through the apertures in the pair of members to maintain the pair in an assembled condition and which structures are relatively inexpensive to fabricate, quickly and easily assembled, disassembled and reassembled in a wide variety of types and shapes, and require a minimal number of fasteners for maintaining the wall members in the assembled condition.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and wherein:

'FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of an assembled structure embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, exploded view of another portion of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view illustrating the mode of connection of co-extending wall members with an intersecting wall member;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the interconnection of the members of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a pair of intersecting wall members and an alternate mode of connection; and

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a portion of a structure constructed according to the invention.

A portion of a sheet metal structure 10 according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The structure '10 is in the form of a revetment. The revetment includes vertically disposed sheet metal side walls '11, 13 an end wall 12 and a diaphragm wall 14 which are connected together to define material receiving volumes 15, 16 in which suitable fill materials are received and retained. In the illustrated embodiment the fill material may be concrete, earth or sand so that the revetment 10 has a considerable mass.

The walls 111, 13 are defined by wall members 20, 21 and 22, 23 respectively, while the walls 12, 14 are defined by single Wall members extending between the walls 11, 13. The wall members 20, 21 are generally vertically disposed and are preferably formed of sheet steel material which is corrugated horizontally along the length of the wall member. In the preferred embodiment the corrugations are configured to provide a series of generally vertically disposed land portions 25 and a series of generally vertically disposed groove portions 26 spaced laterally from the land portions 25. Adjacent lands and grooves 25, 26 are interconnected by generally horizontally disposed connector portions 27.

The wall 12 is likewise generally vertically disposed and includes horizontally extending corrugations, as described in reference to the wall member 21, which include generally vertically disposed lands and grooves 30, 31 which are spaced laterally apart and connected by generally horizontally disposed connectors 32.

The wall 12 and wall member 21 intersect at substantially a right angle and are connected at their joined ends by a fastener 35 which is described presently. As is best seen in FIG. 2 the wall member 21 terminates at an end edge 36 which is disposed in substantially a vertical plane while the wall 12 is notched at its end. The lands and connectors 30, 32 of the corrugations of the wall 12 project beyond the ends of the groove surfaces 31 a distance which is substantially equal to the horizontal distance between the lands and grooves 25, 26 of the Wall member 21. When the wall 12 and wall member 21 are in their assembled positions projecting edges 40, 41 of the lands and connectors 30, 32 are nested between the lands and connectors 25, 27 of the member 21. Each groove 26 of the member 21 and its associated horizontally extending connectors 27 are nested between the lands 30 adjacent end edges 42 of the grooves 31. In other words, the notches in the end edges of the wall 12 are formed so that the wall 12 interfits with the corrugations formed in the wall member 21.

In the illustrated embodiments the connectors 32 are disposed in planes which converge at a small angle proceeding from the grooves 31 toward the lands 30. Similarly the connectors 27 converge at a small angle from the grooves 26 to the lands 25. Accordingly the notches in the end edges of the wall 12 extend slightly into the connectors 32 to provide a tight wedging fit with the wall member 21.

Each of the horizontally disposed connectors 27 of the wall member 21 is provided with an aperture 45 near the end edge 36. The apertures 45 in the connectors 27 are vertically aligned. The connectors 32 of the wall 12 also define apertures 46 which are located adjacent the projecting edges of the connectors 32 and in vertical alignment. The locations of the apertures 46 is such that when wall 12 and wall member 21 are snugly interfitted, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the apertures 45, 46 of the wall 12 and wall member 21, respectively, are all aligned along a substantially vertical line. A connecting pin or rod 35 is then inserted through the apertures to maintain the walls 11, 12 securely connected in their FIG. 1 relationship.

The wall members 20, 21 of the side wall 11 are identical in construction. They include overlapping end edges 50, 51, FIG. 3, which are secured together by a connecting pin 52 which is identical to the pin 35 described previously. The wall members 20, 21 in their relative positions immediately prior to assembly are illustrated in FIG. 3. The connectors 27 of the wall members 20, 21 includes apertures 53, 54, respectively. The apertures are disposed in vertical alignment adjacent the end edges 50, 51 of the members 21, 20. The end edges 50, 51 of the members 21, 20 are each disposed in a generally vertical plane and when the wall members 20, 21 are assembled the corrugations of the wall member 21 nested within the corrugations of the wall member 20 so that the apertures 53, 54 are vertically aligned. The apertures 53, 54 receive the pin 52 to secure the wall members 20, 21 together.

It should be noted that for the purposes of illustration the section thickness as of the walls have been illustrated as relatively large with respect to the size of the corrugations. In practice the section thickness of the wall members is relatively small in relation to the dimensions of the corrugations.

Portions 200 of the corrugations adjacent the end edge 51 of the wall member 20 are sufliciently smaller than the corrugations of the member 21 to permit interfitting or nesting of the corrugations as described in reference to FIGS. 1-3.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the junction of the wall 11 with the diaphragm wall 14. The diaphragm wall extends substantially at a right angle to the wall members 20, 21 and intersects the wall members 20, 21 between the overlapped end edges 50, 51 thereof. The diaphragm wall 14 is identical to the end wall 12. The diaphragm wall includes horizontally extending corrugations having generally vertically disposed lands and grooves 56, 57 laterally spaced apart and connected by horizontally extending connectors 58. As is best seen in FIG. 5 the end '60 of the diaphragm wall 14 is notched, with the lands and connectors 56, 58 extending beyond the end of the grooves 57 a distance which is approximately the same as the horizontal extent of the connectors 27. This permits projectingends 60 of the lands and connectors 56, 58 extend into the corrugations of the member 21 in a nested relationship the member in the same manner as described above in reference to the relationship between the end Wall 12 and wall member 21 of FIGURES l and 2.

Each of the connectors 58 of the wall 14 includes an aperture at a location intermediate the end edges 60*, 61, so that when the end edges 60, 61 are interfitted with the corrugations of the wall member 21 the apertures 63 are aligned with the apertures 53, 54 in the members 20, 21 respectively. With the wall 14 and the wall members 20, 21, positioned as described, the pin 52 is urged through the aligned apertures so that interconnection of the three is accomplished. The wall 14 is effective to compartmentalize the material receiving volume defined by the revertment 10, as Well as to prevent the side walls 11, 13 from bulging outwardly and collapsing due to the pressure exerted by the fluent material being retained.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modified connecting structure between intersecting walls of a sheet metal structure of the type referred to previously. Here a corrugated wall member 70 is joined at substantially right angles to wall member 71 at a location remote from the end edges of the wall member 71. The horizontal corrugations in the wall member 70 are defined by lands and grooves 72, 73 which are interconnected by generally horizontally disposed connectors 74. End edge 75 of the wall member 70 is disposed in a substantially vertical plane abutting the wall member 71.

The wall member 71 is horizntally corrugated and includes laterally spaced lands and grooves 80, 81 and connectors 82. The wall members 70, 71 are secured together by fastening structure including pins 83, 84 and a plurality of clips 85 nested in the corrugations of the wall members 70, 71.

The clips 85 are channel shaped members each having a web 86 which is disposed adjacent one of the grooves 73. The channels have flanges 87, 90 which extend generally parallel to the connectors 74. The flanges 87, 90 are provided with apertures 91, 92 which are alignable with apertures formed in the connectors 74 adjacent the edge 75 so that the pin 84 is received in the apertures of the clips 85 and connectors 74. When the clips are secured to the wall member 70 by the pin 84, a portion of each clip extends beyond the edge 78 of the member 70 toward the member 71. The flanges 87, 90 and the web 86 are nested between the connectors 82 of the corrugations in the member 71. The projecting ends of the clips 85 engage the grooves 81 of the member 71. The projecting portions, the flanges of the claps 85, are provided with apertures 93, 94. The apertures 93, 94 are alignable with apertures formed in the connectors 82. The pin 83 is insertable along a generally vertical line through the aligned apertures in the clips 85 and member 71.

In practice the walls of the described structure are approximately three feet high when assembled as illustrated and described. It has been found that revetments of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 can be constructed by stacking multiple structures. Such structures have performed successfully when built up to heights of 12. feet. Accordingly, the wall members are provided with reinforcing lips extending along their upper sides. These lips are engageable with suitable lips or surfaces of a structure to be assembled in stacked relation upon the illustrated revetment as is shown in FIG. 7. The structure assembled upon the revetment 10 of FIG. 7 is constructed in the same manner as described in reference to the revetment 10 of FIG. 1. The pins 111 which fasten the wall members of the revetment 110 at their junctures may be connected to the pins of the revetment 10 by suitable pin connectors 112. The pin connectors 112 are positioned at the upper ends of the pins in the revetment 10 to receive the lower ends of corresponding pins 111 in the superposed revetment structure 110. The pin connectors 112 may be formed by an internally threaded sleeve which receives threaded ends of the pins in the revetments 10, 110. Alternately the connectors 112 may be formed by a C ring which frictionally engages the pins at their ends.

While the present invention has been illustrated and described herein assembled to form a revetment or similar material receiving structure, it should be apparent from the foregoing that other structures may be assembled, for example, sheet metal buildings, cribbing, retaining walls, or the like.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet metal material retaining structure comprising:

(a) a plurality of interconnected sheet metal wall members;

(h) each of said sheet metal wall members disposed in a generally vertical plane and including corrugations;

(0) said corrugations of each member defining a plurality of aligned apertures near an end edge thereof with said apertures being disposed along a line passing through said corrugations;

(d) coextending adjacent ones of said wall members having interfitting end portions;

(e) said interfitting portions having aligned apertures;

(f) at least one of the members being a transversely extending wall member supporting surfaces which interfit with corrugations of an intersecting wall member;

(g) said surfaces defining apertures aligned with apertures in said intersecting wall member; and

(h) elongated means extending through such aligned apertures for connecting said wall members together.

2. A sheet metal material retaining structure comprising:

(a) a plurality of interconnected sheet metal wall members;

(b) each of said sheet metal wall members including longitudinally extending corrugations;

(c) a plurality of aligned apertures defined in said corrugations adjacent an end edge of each of said members with said apertures being disposed along a l1ne generally transverse to said corrugations;

((1) each wall member having cornugations which interfit adjacent end portions of adjacent wall members;

(e) adjacent ones of said wall members having gligred apertures when said corrugations are intertte (f) an elongate member extending through said apertures for connecting said wall members; and,

(g) said adjacent wall members disposed in generally vertical intersecting planes, one of said wall members having an end portion formed in part by projccting portions of its corrugations which extend into corrugations of said other wall member.

3. A material retaining structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said apertures in said one wall member are formed in said projecting portions of said corrugations.

4. A sheet metal structure as defined in claim 1 wherein each of at least a plurality of said wall members includes a horizontally extending flange portion at an uppermost side thereof, said flange portions engaging and supporting wall members of a superposed structure.

5. A sheet metal structure as defined in claim 4 wherein said elongated means includes parts connecting corresponding elongated means in said superposed structure to said first mentioned elongated means.

6. In a sheet metal structure having at least a wall for retaining material in place, said wall comprising:

(a) first and second sheet metal wall members having generally parallel sides and parallel ends, each Wall member supported on one side and oriented to define a vertically upstanding material retaining barrier;

(b) said wall members each having a plurality of vertically spaced corrugations extending horizontally between said ends and parallel to said sides;

() said corrugations each defined by laterally spaced generally planar land and groove portions, said groove portions interposed between adjacent land portions, and generally planar connector portions extending between said laterally spaced land and groove portions;

((1) the planes of said connector portions defining at least an included angle of greater than 90 with respect to the planes of said groove portions, and the vertical distance between adjacent connector portions decreasing proceeding from adjacent land portions toward an interposed groove portion;

(e) one end of said first wall member overlapping one end of said second wall member and overlapped corrugations nested together adjacent said ends;

(f) said wall members having sufficiently small cross sectional thicknesses to enable manual flexing of said corrugations as said corrugations are overlapped and nested;

(g) each of said connector portions having at least one aperture adjacent the ends of each of said wall members;

(h) said apertures in said connector portions being disposed along a line generally transverse to said corrugations;

(i) apertures in said second wall member aligned with apertures in said first wall member when said ends are overlapped; and,

(j) a connecting member extending vertically through said aligned apertures in said first and second wall members to secure said wall members together.

7. A structure as claimed in claim 6 wherein said connector portions and one of said land or groove portions of one wall member project from said end beyond the other of said land or groove portions.

8. A sheet metal structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said connecting member is an elongated cylindrical pin extending along the transverse extent of said Wall members,

9. A sheet metal structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said surfaces of said transversely extending wall member are defined by a plurality of clips fixed to said transversely extending wall member and extending adjacent said connector portions of said intersecting wall member.

10. A sheet metal structure as defined in claim 9 wherein said clips are generally channel-like members having flanges disposed adjacent connector portions of said transversely extending and intersecting wall members, said flanges defining apertures aligned with apertures in said connector portions of said intersecting wall member for receiving said connecting means.

11. In a corrugated sheet metal structure:

(a) a first vertical wall member having horizontally extending corrugations;

(b) said corrugations defined by laterally spaced land and groove portions and connector portions extending between said land and groove portions;

(c) a second vertical wall member disposed transversely of said first wall member;

(d) said second wall member having horizontal corrugations defined by laterally spaced land and groove portions and connector portions between said land and groove portions;

(e) a plurality of surfaces extending from an end of said second wall member and received adjacent connector portions of said first wall member; and,

(f) structure for detachably connecting said surfaces and connector portions of said first wall member together.

12. A structure as claimed in claim 11 wherein said surfaces of said second wall member are defined at least in part by connector portions thereof.

13. A structure as claimed in claim 11 wherein said surfaces of said second wall member are defined by clips nested in corrugations of said second wall member.

14. Structure as claimed in claim 13 wherein said clips are channel-like members detachably connected to said second wall member.

15. A sheet metal structure defined by a plurality of walls comprising:

(a) a first wall including a generally vertically disposed sheet metal wall member;

(b) said wall member having a plurality of longitudinally extending corrugations each defined by laterally spaced land and groove portions and a connector portion extending between said laterally spaced portions;

(c) each of said connector portions having at least one aperture adjacent ends of said wall member;

(d) said apertures in said connector portions being disposed along a line generally transverse to said corrugations;

(e) a second wall member including surfaces disposed adjacent said connector portions of said first wall member;

(f) said surfaces of said second wall member defining apertures alignable with said apertures in said first wall member;

(g) a connecting member extending through said aligned apertures in said first and second wall members to secure said wall members together;

(h) said second wall member being generally vertically disposed and including a plurality of generally transversely extending corrugations each defined by first and second laterally spaced groove and land portions and connector portions extending between said laterally spaced portions, one of said groove and land portions of the corrugations extending beyond the other of said portions and interfitting with a portion of a corrugation of said first wall member;

(i) said surfaces of said second wall member defined by said connector portions; and,

(j) a second wall member being vertically disposed and positioned substantially at right angles to said first wall member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,153,601 9/1915 Caughey 52630 1,791,881 2/1931 Yarwood 52336 XR 2,022,255 11/1935 Scott 52588 2,175,271 10/1939 Lethly 5-5 X 2,193,994 3/1940 Weaver 52586 X 3,019,867 2/ 1962 Colombini 52585 X 3,025,640 3/1962 Muhr 52585 X 3,215,118 11/1965 Behlen 52585 X PRICE C. FAW, 1a., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

